Jaded Grey
by Soeir
Summary: Forces are at play in the world of Remnant, and change looms ever closer. Ash is a lost soul unknowingly thrust onto the scene. He has no real goal, a troubling past and harsh views on society. Will he disappear quietly into the night ? Will he be used and discarded ? Or will he rise and shape the ages to come ? There is no right or wrong in his mind, only what is and what is not.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello ! Thank you for giving my fiction a chance !**

**It's my first time writing on this site, so there may be some mistakes in the format or the ranking. I'll try to resolve those as soon as they show up.**

**Also, if something troubles you in the way I write or if you're curious as to where I'm aiming to bring this story, the note at the end of the chapter is made for you !**

**Now, let's get down to business, shall we ?**

**Disclaimer : I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

She had scoured the alleys of Vale for a couple days in search of a lead. Frustrating at first, a bunch of lowlife criminals now associated her eyes with promises of pain. A work well done if she might say so. Plus, she finally had a name and a place to look for.

She was making progress ! After all these years wondering what-ifs and pestering her dad, she had at last found a clue to start her search.

A picture. A picture of _her_.

She was going to find her, tell her all that she had weighting on her heart and get the closure she so desperately needed. That was the plan in broad strokes at least. Details… Details could wait.

For now, she had a club owner to shake up. And he would remember that night. The night a tempest by the name of Yang Xiao-Long swept through his scummy bar !

Ruby would be so proud of her sister right now.

She was now in front of the establishment so aptly named 'The Club' and she could hear the rhythmic thumping coming through the doors. There were a couple goons standing at the front, either keeping a watchful gaze or checking the comings and goings of the local night fauna into the hotspot.

Yang strode to the entrance and flashed a teasing grin at the bouncers, fluttering her eyelashes for good measure. She was let in without a snatch, to the irritation of the waiting crowd.

_Ah ! Easy !_

First step into the den and she was blasted with music that pumped her blood right up, with a good tempo for dancing and a fairly entrancing melody. Appropriate for the venue as well as the occasion – in a word, perfect.

She briefly observed the mass of people on the dance floor and the disparate groups holding jealously the rare tables around. No one stood out to her, just the regular joes and janes enjoying a night out. With a bit of luck they would continue to do so, yet Yang could already tell this whole thing would go south sooner rather than later. She wasn't of the subtle or patient kind usually, never mind tonight.

She spotted the head honcho, handling the bar at the back of the room. Her info on the guy proved true enough, black hair and beard, serious look plastered on his face and dressed like every other lackey around except for the jacket.

Grinning to herself, she headed straight to him.

"Junior, right ?"

He looked up from the glass he was polishing and gave her a brief once over. "Who's asking ?"

"Just a regular girl looking for some tips." She replied with a coy smile.

"Sorry blondie, I don't cater to children. Enjoy yourself on the dancefloor." And with that he went back to his work.

_Well, can't say I didn't try the diplomatic way._

He was slow to react when she jumped over the counter, even slower after grabbing his manhood and squeezing harshly.

"It's sir to you, thank you very much." Her smile grew threatening as she put up her scroll, displaying the picture of her birth mother. "People say you know things. So, tell me where I can find this woman and I'll let you go, promise."

His breath labored and voice strained, he rushed to answer. "No idea who that is ! Never seen her before !"

"Forgetting something, aren't you ?" Oh, she was enjoying this far too much. It probably wasn't healthy but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Sir ! I swear I don't know anything ! Sir !"

"That's disappointing. And now we have an audience. Must be pretty embarrassing for you, hmm ?" His eyes kept darting from her to his approaching minions, as if they could help him. "Next time, you'll tell me why a big guy like you calls himself 'Junior', 'kay ? But let's not keep your friends waiting, I'm sure they're rearing to go as it is."

A wink, a flash of the tongue, and a hearty punch to the face sent Junior straight through a subwoofer, his legs dangling in the air.

It was all that was needed to unleash mayhem in this lively place.

**[- The Gammer – THE DROP (Darren Style Remix) -]**

They came at her with red axes, their main theme she gathered, rather uncoordinated and glaringly unexperienced in the finer arts of face-smashing. Yet, the numbers alone might prove a challenge.

She welcomed it gladly.

The first never knew what struck him, the second primed a swing but took a fist to the jaw, and as the third and fourth tried to surround her, she eagerly jumped into the fray.

Hooks and jabs. Torso, head and arms. To hurt, but never break. Swirling around and raining blows, she got the warm-up she was expecting. She was starting to feel the adrenaline rise and her tempo stabilize.

_Oh, I'm following the music. Didn't even notice it change. Hmm… Don't get predictable Yang. But gods is it fun… Beating freaks to the beats of music ! Ah ! Plus one for Yang !_

More and more came as the customers noticed and departed from the venue in waves.

Backstep, left cross, roundhouse, parry and strike, bob left, correct right, punch low, axe passing through her guard but deflected by her aura, a kick coming to her left, jump above and land on the leg, headbutt and hook the next guy in the diaphragm, spin around, evade another axe, yank the arm off, elbow in the face, gauntlet into another one…

Soon, the ranks thinned and next came two young ladies, one dressed in red, the other in white. And as everyone knew, the more outlandish and eye-catching the clothes you wore, the stronger you were. And if not, it was despicable false advertisement.

"Militia, let's teach this cow a lesson."

"Sure thing, Melanie."

The twins were smiling, anticipating an easy two-on-one fight. Yang planned to prove them wrong with a flourish.

The clawed one charged first, long swipes aiming to keep her occupied while the other flanked her. A left haymaker forced its way past the red-dressed one's guard, forcing her to backstep. Same instant, other side, a bladed heel snapped at the blonde's head. Thanks to the breathing room she afforded herself, she could easily dodge and grab the foot flying past. A quick turn and pull sent her second opponent straight into a wall, shoulder first.

The first one was back a second too late, but attacked with far higher speed after seeing her sister get thrown away. Many brutal slashes were evaded, even more were deflected. Yang bid her time, letting the ticked off wolverine exhaust herself.

When her timing slipped, the blonde brawler did what she did best, she drove her knuckles into the out of place elbow, then the undefended face, and finally deep into the tender stomach. A painfully crippling combo for sure, even with aura to dampen the blows. But before Yang could turn the girl's lights off, she heard the other dashing at her back.

Sidestepping and a one two to the temple had her crash into a glass pillar.

_That's gotta hurt._

The other one came back with a vengeance, swiping her claws left and right in a whirlwind of blades. She had speed on her side but clearly lacked in accuracy now, half of her attacks needing barely any movement on Yang's part to be avoided. Again, she tired and didn't notice the piece of heavy-duty metal coming straight for her jaw.

She went flying and landed back first on a bar stool.

_**That**__'s gotta hurt._

But even with her doppelganger out for the count, the sharp-heeled one wasn't done yet. She seemed more collected, wary of charging in as she had done before without the support of her twin. So, Yang took the initiative.

Firing a barrage of slugs while rushing at her, the poor thing had no opportunity to counter her and took a final combo ending with a sharp jab to the spleen. She fell and huddled on the ground, moaning into her knees.

Pleased with the result, Yang grinned fiercely. Quick work was good work after all.

"Damn it Ash ! Stop with the fucking music and get her the hell out of my club !"

Seemed like Junior was up and about again. And this Ash… Another contender maybe ?

"Junior, you don't pay nearly enough for that kind of thing."

Ah, the DJ. She was wondering why the music kept matching her moves, adapting to the rhythm she set. He was a competent performer, that's for sure, but a fighter at that ? She doubted he'd fare any better than Junior's men, yet you never know.

"Whatever. I'll pay up. Just kick her out…" The owner seemed crestfallen as he looked at the wreck his place had become.

"Fine, fine. Hey, lady !" Stepping down from the stage – with the bobbing teddy bear head still on – the DJ hailed her. "Mind taking this outside ? I think this joint is ruined enough as is."

He didn't move aggressively towards her, nor did he take a fighting stance. Yang felt magnanimous at the moment, having already satiated her lust for havoc, so she agreed without much thought to his demand.

Then he just walked past her, turning his back to her completely.

_Zero survival instinct this one. Or one hell of a superiority complex. Bah… Pity this night has to end so lamely. _

Shrugging, she followed him outside. She didn't entertain one second the idea of striking at his back. As disappointing as this last scrap promised to be, she wouldn't just jump the guy. She wasn't raised a coward.

"So, you still want to duke it out ?"

He didn't seem enthused at the idea of fighting her. After all, he already got her to exit the club, what reason was there to keep the fire burning ? But Yang couldn't help herself, she had to bait him, if only a little.

"What, you scared, _teddy boy_ ?"

"A bit, yeah." Contrary to his words, his body was relaxed, slouched even. "Cops usually don't appreciate public showdowns, makes them look bad or something, and they're probably on their way already…"

As he trailed off and watched both ends of the street, Yang couldn't help but chuckle. The guy really had it coming, being far too dismissive to her liking. She'd show him why you never let your eyes off of your opponent.

She blasted forward straight at him, both her fists coming back from behind her to strike his head on both sides. His reaction time wasn't all that bad. He pulled back, just enough that her weapons clanged in front of his face. That is, if he wasn't wearing such a ridiculous thing on his head.

The plush apparel squeaked and burst in an explosion of fluff and plastic, staggering and blinding the man. Not one to waste a free shot, and aiming to finish this night appropriately, the brawler started to pound his abdomen. He tried to block, even managed to do so at first to her amazement, but she adapted and struck at odd angles, switching gears every so often.

The unending chain of blows pushed him further and further, always on the back foot and unbalanced, yet each time she thought he might stumble he flailed around a bit and kept upright.

While funny at first, the beatdown was starting to grow boring.

_How much abuse can this guy take ? I should end this fast. Kick his legs and be done with it, he can't even retaliate._

She did just so. A savage hit that should have dropped him like timber, yet didn't. She saw aura covering his shin, which shouldn't have been much of an issue, but something was off. The glow seemed more defined, more consistent than what she was used to, with clear borders, almost like a luminous glass panel.

The sole of her boot bounced back, and as she readied her stance anew, she saw another light, just as grey as the last one. One coming straight at her.

A flash, a _bang_, asphalt, walls and stars passing before her eyes, then a mighty screech of metal torn apart.

_Huh..? What happened ?_

She found herself encased in the side of a car, the metal wrapped around her.

"Let's call it a draw, alright ?"

Looking up, she saw the DJ massage his torso, leaned against a lamp post.

"What ?" Her mind was fuzzy, playing catch up with her short-term memory and what she was seeing. Blinking didn't help, nor did shaking her head – which upset her stomach more than anything – and flexing her muscles to extricate herself from her post-modern sarcophagus solved nothing. She felt… weak.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I panicked a bit there. My bad." He stretched his back and got the teddy bear head off, throwing it a glance before discarding it. "Here, let me help you."

He stretched his hand to her but she couldn't help but stare at his face. Eyes roaming left to right, top to bottom incessantly. It probably was the head trauma making her loopy, or the neon blue light coming from the sign right above his left shoulder that made his face so captivating. Or maybe, just maybe, the many scars adorning his features. The left side spoke of the remains of many battles survived at great prices. The right, not so much. More of a smattering of small nicks and cuts. His nose and lips had tiny chunks missing, too inconsequential to really stand out but complementing – if that is the appropriate word – the rest nonetheless.

She couldn't think of an uglier mug than his.

"Come on lady, I know I'm a looker, but-"

Right then, sirens became audible right around the corner. Next, a van and two police cars accompanied by an ambulance made a sharp turn and stopped in front of the club. Out came the first responders, radioing and shouting at one another to get an idea of the situation. A paramedic saw them before the others, and a couple second later a squad of policemen had the DJ in their sights.

"No sudden movement !" One of them blared. To which others added, "Hands behind your head !" "On your knees !"

The scarred man complied, seemingly non-plussed by the commotion, albeit frowning a tad.

His arrest proceeded without incident, cuffed and brought toward the van by the attentive police force in a swift and professional manner.

"Medics, you're clear. Hoffman, take your team and bring him to the precinct. You know the procedure for huntsmen." The one seemingly in charge barked.

While she was fussed over and ultimately pulled out of the wreckage, she couldn't help but play back the fight in her head.

She had him. She definitely did. And then she didn't, thanks to some weird aura techniques. One hit and she was out, not even the chance to let her Semblance run wild. Oh, he was good, no doubt about that. In hindsight, she wondered if he was truly blinded, if the way he blocked and avoided obstacles while back tracking was deliberate, and if so, how ?

But more than that, was she getting overconfident ? Nothing warned her of his capabilities. Maybe his attitude beforehand but if she had to be wary of every smug and cocky adversary, she'd be on her toes pretty much every fight, and that just wasn't possible. She liked the freedom of combat, overanalyzing every sign and tell just wasn't her way.

She chose the middle ground. To let her style flow unhindered but keep a little something under the hood at any point. That was the approximate plan at least. Details would wait, as always.

* * *

A bar brawl. A promising new student of his had taken part in a bar brawl, of all things. And not even two weeks before the start of her first semester at that. Experience told him it was nothing out of the ordinary for young huntsmen-in-training yet he still wished for clearer – or less enthusiast – minds in the youth of today. Ah but wishes paved the road of delusion. His life should have vaccinated him against such instinctive thinking, but alas.

Maybe the opponent she faced was the cause of his slight discomfort. An unexpected development for sure. That such a person escaped his radar was… unlikely. And unlikely raised concerns. More so with the abilities this man showed. The footage the cameras in the street caught was clear, the signs unmistakable.

"Right this way, sir."

The officer pointed him to a heavy-set door, a placard reading 'Huntsman Detention Cell 2' next to it. The guard stationed at its side exchanged a look with his superior and fetched the keys to the two sets of locks securing the metal panel in place. Once opened, he could see a sturdy steel table and chairs bolted to the floor illuminated by a crude but solid light inlayed in the ceiling. The standard accommodation for interrogation rooms used to host huntsmen-level individuals. And such an individual was sat against the back wall of this one, observing his new visitor as the visitor observed him.

Scars everywhere you could look at. Face, scalp, neck, arms, hands. Probably more under the simple clothes he wore. Ashen grey hair with deep black eyes, but those didn't capture attention as much as the lines and crosses over his skin. Even if hard to tell, he was relatively young. Thirty years old, at most. He held himself like a caged animal, head lowered and elbows resting on his half-bent knees, yet the look he gave the newcomer was one filled with cold intelligence.

This new interrogator, dressed in shades of green, stepped into the room, the door closing behind him with a rattle. He then sat down on one of the chairs.

**[- Forest Swords – Crow -]**

"Hello mister Ketchum." The older man noticed the hint of a smirk struggling to stretch across the detainee's face. "I have come here to help you as to your recent troubles with the law. But first, do you happen to know who I am ?"

An open question to test the waters.

"I know your face, but no idea, no." Mister Ketchum – an alias clearly – answered readily from his spot on the floor. He felt no deception in his words, but had been wrong before and shall be so again in the future.

"I am the current Headmaster of Beacon, professor Ozpin. You might have seen me on the news." Ozpin added with a gentle smile, keeping in tune with his public persona.

"I swear, those names…" Was muttered before looking back at him. "I don't keep up with recent events, sorry." Suspicious, as Ozpin had been Beacon's Headmaster for a good twenty years now. "What's the director of a school doing here so late ?"

"Not so much late as early, rather." The sun was now peeking over the horizon, no windows to tell the time in this place.

"You didn't exactly answer my question, did you ?" The cuffed man asked with a glint of mischievousness.

_Still attentive after hours of interrogation, but direct._

Ozpin nodded, keeping the conversation rolling. "You find yourself in a precarious position. The policemen must have informed you of your irregular situation within our walls and threatened you with imprisonment and eviction. Is that correct ?"

"Yep." His knowing smile hinted to the Headmaster that his diversion still wasn't finding purchase. A distraction was in order.

"As for the altercation between yourself and miss Xiao-Long, you'll be glad to know that no charge will be held."

"Xiao-Long… How is she ?" A frown marred his valleyed face.

_Genuine or fake concern ?_

"She is quite alright. Being a huntress trainee, she proves more resilient than you might think. She happens to be a student of mine, or will be in the near future at least, which explains my presence here."

A silence stretched, both waiting for the other to give more.

"So, you just came all the way here to tell me I don't have to worry about something inconsequential ?"

_Descent resistance to blanks, resumes the discussion with a question. May have been trained in interrogation techniques._

"Not quite. May I call you Ash ?"

"Yeah, better that way." He said with a shrug.

_True name ? Diminutive ? Nickname ?_

"Tell me, Ash, where do you come from ?"

"Far away from here." A forlorn look passed in his eyes for an instant and was gone the next.

_He's making it too obvious. Keep digging._

"Your file says from the village of Saharazad in the territories of Vacuo."

"Yeah, that's where I come up first in the system. We both know that's not what you're asking."

"Indeed it is not."

Another stretch of nothing. A long intake of air, an equally as long exhale, and...

"Bandits." He spat.

_The orphan backstory ?_

"Please elaborate."

"I was born in a bandit tribe. It's why I don't show up anywhere before that."

_Avoiding eye contact. Shame or deceit ?_

"I see. I apologize if that is a period of your life you do not wish to revisit, but we need to establish if you pose a risk to this city, I hope you understand that."

"Yeah, I get it, no worries." The man seemed weary now, defeated even. He laid his head against the wall, his muscles perceptively loosening up.

"We have you traveling Vacuo's countryside for three years, then nothing for sixteen months before you reappear in Vale two winters ago. Could you shed some light on this period of absence from any CCT-connected area ?"

"What makes you think I'll answer you when I haven't before?" He flashed a grin from ear to ear, yet it felt weak in the Headmaster's eyes.

"I do not know what you are afraid of, but I do know that you can't keep living as you have been until now." Ozpin stared at the scarred man for a second. "You _will_ be banished from Vale – and more likely than not from Atlas and Mistral as well, if not even Vacuo too – if you do not answer those question, mister Ash. And I dare hope that you do not wish for that to happen."

_Will you take the easy way out, or double down ?_

"Yeah… I like it here, can't lie about that. Sure beats the wilds…" He closed his eyes, seeming to think it over one last time before opening them anew and starting his tale.

"After I… _left_ the tribe I grew up in, I roamed the deserts. I was a decent fighter so I eked out a living doing convoy escort and patrol jobs. Small time gigs, always moving and not once looking back. More and more, I… wanted to test myself, or I got addicted to the rush of combat, take your pick. Either way, and long story short, I went to places that have never known the touch of civilization." He smiled at that. A true and heartfelt smile, aimed only at himself, looking back to memories he cherished.

"I'll be honest, I had a blast. But, and you probably know this given your job and all, there's always a bigger, badder Grimm waiting in the shadows. I dodged my end daily out there, yet I got closer than I thought one too many times, and decided to call it quits. Ended up here by dumb luck and, erm… To get into the city proper, you gotta have some kind of ID, which is tough to get your hands on when you're in my position. And, well, one thing leading to another, I found myself a job as a DJ at Junior's."

Ozpin, attentive more than ever, noted his unease and lack of details concerning the his time in this alleged tribe and the recent years. Yet, it didn't disturb him much. While yes, that man in front of him had probably performed reprehensible acts – and may still be tackling with one debt or another – his alleged adventuring in the wildlands was far more attention-worthy to him.

_Keep the pressure up._

"Living more than a year in those parts seems… farfetched at best, mister Ash. The Huntsmen I work with have trouble even passing through such places, and they operate in teams of _four_."

The man regained his bearings, his interest visibly picked. "I've wondered about that, yes. Seemed weird to me I didn't meet any people. Hell, even in Vacuo the few huntsmen I freelanced with were underwhelming. I've had time to think it through recently, and that last fight confirmed it for sure." The playful grin from the start of their meeting made its reappearance as he asked. "Wanna take a guess ?"

_Finally._

"Your uncanny ability to manipulate aura." Ozpin delivered straight.

"You don't know the half of it." Cocky defined his attitude to a tee. He had what Ozpin wanted and he knew it.

"Please enlighten me."

"Why should I ? Or are you gonna pull the banishment card again ?" He now had an edge to his voice, a promise that he wouldn't admit defeat quietly.

_Lure him in. Reaction will tell if he's a pawn._

"Because it is the right thing to do. Don't you want to work for the betterment of society ? I am currently in the position to give you the fame that is rightfully yours, should your claims prove true. There may even be rewards if you wish to come under my employ."

In the void that followed, the Headmaster locked his gaze on the detainee's. If he accepted for such flimsy reason as glory and material compensation, he was to be milked for all his worth then discarded. But if he accepted under the guise of altruism, he shall be disposed of as soon as possible. Had he truly wanted to offer his service to the community, he wouldn't have waited to meet one of the players in the hidden game Ozpin was playing. No, the only answer that would point towards his unawareness of the game would be-

"So that's why you're here. You want to know how I do what I do." His pupils were hard pinpricks by now, his smile gone. "You talk about fame and shit, all I hear is your crave for power. You want what I got for yourself, just so you can further whatever personal agenda you have. Tsk, should have known…"

_Oh. __**Oh.**_

He kept going. "Well, I'm not giving you anything. Your threats are just that, threats. I can live out of those walls. Done it before." His tone started to deepen, becoming akin to a growl. "And I've got news for you. You ain't gonna-"

"Freedom of the Eye. Horizon's Expansion. The Crying Sea. Need I say more ?"

Stunned, Ash seemed to need a moment to process these words. When he finally retook possession of his faculties, he was fuming. "You **knew** ?! What the hell old man !? I was this close to sending you to kingdom come !"

"Please calm down, mister Ash."

"Fuck off ! You play with me, prodding and pulling with your words, well fuck you right back !"

_I may have misjudged him a bit._

"My apologies, I did not wish to put you in such a state." He truly didn't, but during his time on this world, rarely had he had a choice as to how to extract the truth from a suspicious individual.

"Then why do all this ? Why grill me with your questions and hidden meanings ?" Luckily, he was cooling his anger down, forcibly restraining himself from exploding in Ozpin's face.

"Because I am but one man in a sea of unknowns. I needed to make sure you wouldn't share this knowledge with whoever bided the highest. I'm sure you can see how it would complicate things." While true, he mostly wanted to know if he was another pawn of hers. And now, while not completely sure, he felt safe in considering this 'Ash Ketchum' bare of any truly nefarious objective.

Breathing hard a couple of times, the man in question raised his eyes to meet his. "You're making it really difficult to trust anything that comes out of your mouth, you know ?"

A pained smile allowed itself on his oh so tired face. "So I've been told."

The two of them let the moment pass, reflecting on the last few minutes. Both relieved, but for wildly different reasons.

_What now ? I can't let him out of my sight, she will surely know of him soon and I can't risk her getting her hands on another Gate. Ah… Glynda won't like it, but why not. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say._

"I believe your current employment has been put on hold due to Miss Xiao-Long's misbehavior."

"Probably. Junior will need time to repair. Why ?" The grey-haired man wasn't paying attention, more focused on his own thoughts as he was, but Ozpin now had a warm cup of coffee in hand. Mistralian Dream, his favorite.

"What I said earlier, about doing the right thing and working for the community, would you want to give it a try ?"

Again, a long look was exchanged. It seemed they were cut of the same cloth when patience was in play.

"What are we talking about exactly ?"

_Don't make him guess, blunt is the way to go with this one._

"Teaching. At my school. Whatever you feel is safe to share." Ozpin could see the nascent interest in him. Maybe he'd found some good in this unexpected man. "Of course, you'll be eased into your position by my staff. I do not wish to overwhelm you with the responsibilities such a work entails. But I can definitely see your talents put to good use there."

"Could I choose my students ?"

_Peculiar, but acceptable._

"Within reason, yes. What are you thinking ?"

"Get me out of here and we'll hash out the details." Again with the sly grin, he shook his cuffs to make his point.

_Just need confirmation at this point._

"Do I take it you're interested ?"

The grin morphed into a lopsided smile, making the scars on his left cheek roll and crease. Ozpin realized that at no point during their conversation did he truly pay attention to his disfigurement, as extensive as it was.

"Yeah, I'm game."

* * *

**First chapter, done.**

**I hope you liked it, and that it made you want to read the next one. **

**Which brings me to the subject of schedules. I'm gonna try to write a chapter every week, but knowing me, it might drop to one per month. If it goes lower than that I will warn you beforehand. I'll keep a chapter in advance so that I have a buffer if I can't write for more than a month.**

**Now, let's talk about the punctuation. Yes, I space the ! and ? because I find it easier to read. I don't think it changes a lot but I'm not a native English reader so I might be wrong. I'm not opposed to change my ways. Tell me in the reviews or in PM if it's more of a bother than I thought.**

**On that topic, I'd like to ask you some questions regarding this chapter, and I'm hoping about every other chapter. I'm not really confident my writing conveyed what I thought. So your feedback will be appreciated.**

**Here are my questions :**

**1) Did I portray the characters accurately ? Was there a point when you thought 'I can't picture this character doing/saying/thinking that' ?**

**2) Were the fight scenes engaging ? Could you picture what was happening ? If not, what broke the illusion ?**

**3) Did the conversation between Ozpin and Ash feel decisive ? Was the tension and sub-text understandable ? Were the stakes clear ? Most of all, did it sound logical ?**

**4) The music. I will probably keep inserting some here and there, and most likely from the electro genre. If it's not to your taste, it's completely fine, skip them. I just want to know if they felt appropriate to those who listened to them while reading. Or should I scrap the idea ?**

**Some words on what kind of story I hope to write.**

**[-SPOILER ALERT-]. Kinda.  
**

**First, it's not an SI. I share some traits and points of view with the MC, true, but that's not what matters. What matters, or I think so, are the underlaying problems an SI story usually brings up.**

**Will the MC be OP ? No. He'll be powerful, but won't steamroll the opposition. **

**Will everything go the MC's way ? I don't plan on writing a saddening story, but there's a balance between 'too good to be true' and 'harsh and unforgiving'. I aim to tread that fine line. We'll see if I succeed.**

**Will he charm everyone and get away with basically being a murder hobo ? That's a harder one. Will I manage to write a credible story ? One where the characters are held accountable for their acts, while not getting bogged down in extreme realism ? I have no clue.**

**Hope that answers some of your interrogations.**

**[-END OF SPOILER ALERT-]**

**Lastly, I have a confession to make. I never watched the show. **

**I know, that's weird. I'm writing a fanfiction without having seen the original material. But ! I've read a lot of the works on this site, so much in fact that I felt I knew the story by cross-referencing the major events in the fanfictions I had read. And I caught myself imagining stories taking place in this universe.**

**So there will probably be some differences in the events that you know, but I'm hoping it will be close enough that it won't disturb your reading experience.**

**That is all. Phew, long author note, heh ?**

**Thanks for reading !**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welp.**

**Sorry I was away for so long. Real life stuff happened and you know the drill.**

**Dunno if I'll continue this story but here are the two chapters I had written after the first one.**

**Again, sorry.**

* * *

The reception Hall was _big_. Like _big _big. As was everything at Beacon it seemed. The buildings, the gardens, the main tower – how _high_ was this thing ? – even the _paintings_ were big ! It just didn't make sense. Was it all built by freaking giants ? Maybe an ancient race of three-armed cyclops… With weapons made specifically for their anatomy ! Oh, what she would give to take apart such a weapon… If it existed in the first place, she had to remind herself.

_Enough of this, Ruby. Get your act together. You're a Beacon student now. Well, not yet, with the Initiation and all that, but soon ! So very, very soon !_

She couldn't wait to meet the people she would share the next four years with. Would they be awesome like Yang ? Or nice like Jaune ? Or… Maybe they'll be cranky like that princess… Or worse ! Even more awkward than her ! Or even worser ! More awkward than _Jaune_ !

_Noooo !.._

Feeling the downward trend her thoughts were taking, she pulled herself together by shaking her head at high speed and clapping her hands on her cheeks a couple times.

"You're overthinking things again, aren't you ?"

And of course Yang had noticed her little ritual. "I'm fine, Yang…"

"Hey, I'm sure you'll do great, it's piece of cake for you."

While sweet, her words put even more pressure on her. What if the other students started to resent her for being as good as them – or maybe even better – while two years younger ? "I'm not worried about that… It's just… Do you think they'll accept me ? I mean, I'm still fifteen…"

"Rub's, if they can't see what you can bring to the table, whatever your age, that means they're morons and you're better off without them anyway."

Ah, the classic 'Don't think about it and it doesn't matter anymore' type of argument. "Yaaang, you can't say that ! And what if it's someone on my team ?"

"Then I'll calmly and precisely explain to them why they should never mess with you. Simple."

"Nooo, nonono ! You can't solve everything with violence ! Even I know that."

"If finesse doesn't cut it, brute force is always the answer." At the whine she received in response, Yang felt compelled to tone it down a bit. "Just kidding, Sis'. I know you're right. Which is why I have complete trust in you being on the best team possible."

"Thanks…" That made her feel all warm inside. And maybe even a bit more confident in herself.

"And I'm obviously going to be part of such a fantastic team, so there's that."

"Pff, you wish. Bet you I'm gonna have better teammates than you."

"Oh, you're so on."

The sisters exchanged a short laugh, both happy in their own way to be here with the other.

"Attention everyone !" The booming voice startled a good portion of the prospective students, Ruby included. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch. As you should all know by now, I am the Deputy Headmistress of Beacon Academy. As such, I welcome you all and wish you success in the upcoming Initiation. The proceedings will be explained soon, but for now, a word from the Headmaster."

Ruby was impressed. Such a no-nonsense and imposing presence, it made everything more… concrete. Up until now, she kept wondering if she would wake up and realize the last few days were all but a fever dream. Here, now, she felt her expectations reach an all-time high.

"Thank you Glynda. To all of you, huntsmen and huntresses aspirants, I extend my thanks. For devoting your youth to thankless training, and your future to grueling hardship. Yet, do you know what I see now ?"

"Shit !"

Did Yang just _swear_ ? Yang _never_ swears. She was watching the Headmaster deliver his speech – pretty standard stuff – the same as her, so what spooked her like that ?

Ruby stood on her toes, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever it was. As Ozpin kept going – about what, she didn't know, she wasn't really listening anymore – she noticed the whispering. Many around her were talking about someone's face or something.

Finally, a guy in the front stepped to the side, and she saw him. He had to be the reason for her sister mishap. At first she doubted her eyes, then she felt a deep unease travel through her spine. When it settled, she felt disappointed in herself. This man had clearly suffered a lot and now she felt disgust just by looking at him. That wasn't fair, he didn't ask for this. Probably. Gods, she hoped he wasn't a masochist or whatever it was called.

_No, don't assume anything. Why is he smiling like that ? Did he just nod at me !? Huu, scary… No ! Bad thoughts, Ruby !_

"Let me now introduce you to our faculty. First is miss Goodwitch, which you know as my foremost assistant, but who will also be your combat teacher. Next is Professor Port-"

"Did he just nod to me ?" Ruby muttered, still perplexed.

"He didn't. It was for me." Came the unexpected response.

"What ? You know him ?"

"Not really…" To her sister expectant gaze, Yang felt obligated to explain. "Remember when Dad had to pick me up from the hospital two weeks ago ?"

"He _did_ that ?" Oh, now she didn't feel so guilty about the bad thoughts.

"No, well yes, but-" Yang tried to correct but was cut off when Ozpin raised his voice.

"And lastly, Assistant Professor Ketchum, who joined us this year and will handle Applied Aura Manipulation classes. He asked for the opportunity to address you all before we end this presentation." Then, taking a step back and motioning for the man to take center stage, he added. "Ketchum, if you will."

The hall, previously vibrating with barely concealed chatter, was now listening carefully. "Thank you Headmaster." Standing in front of the crowd, he let the silence stretch. His eyes, rare pair of curves compared to the harsh angles inscribed in his flesh, spanned the student body before he resumed. "I'll make this quick. Yes, those are real scars. Yes, there are more. Yes, they hurt. No, I didn't carve them myself. No, I won't tell you how I got them. Lastly, don't feel bad if you don't like the way I look, I don't like it either." He smiled briefly, making strangely captivating things happen to his skin. "But I won't hide those marks for your own convenience. That is all."

Getting back in line with the rest of the staff, the conversations picked up anew. Not even Ozpin wishing them a good first day at Beacon or Glynda picking up after that could tame the buzzing going around.

Some were shocked, others afraid that this was what a real huntsman looked like. Rare were the ones who mocked his appearance, but they were the most vocal, as is often the case. A few select individuals were unaffected, more concerned with the reaction of the student body than the appearance of one of their teachers. Ruby…

Ruby was angry.

This… _criminal_ had hurt her sister, and now he was a professor at Beacon ? What were they thinking ?! There was hell to pay and she vowed to collect his debt.

Her sister noticed the growl that slithered past her lips. "Hey, Ruby, look at me. I know what you're thinking. _I_ attacked him. It's the opposite of his fault. Hey, are you listening ?"

"He's still a criminal." And that was the end of the story as far as she was concerned.

"Maybe, but-"

"You said there was nothing but thugs and crooks at that place. He worked there." The younger sister pointed an exasperated look at her sibling.

_Is she really trying to defend him ? What did he do to her ?_

"I say a lot of things, Rub's. I might have gotten it wrong this time."

"And you might not." So really, it was still fifty-fifty at this point. Still a good chance he was a bad person.

"You really think the headmaster and miss Goodwitch haven't checked ? That he could have deceived _them_ ?"

"It's possible." Maybe not fifty-fifty, yet she couldn't let him get away with it on the off chance she was right.

"Ruby, stop. Just stop. You don't know him, you weren't there when it happened. You just saw your sister come back home one day looking worse than after a spar. I'm glad I've got you as a sister, but right now, you have to stop thinking with your heart, and start using that beautiful brain of yours." Yang seemed concerned, afraid even. Ruby knew it was a losing battle, and so tactfully retreated.

"Ew, don't talk about my brain like that !"

"Pff ! Don't change Rub's, ever."

As Yang rubbed her head, making a mess of her hair to her genuine annoyance, she patted herself on the back. She could be socially-savvy when she wanted to, yes sir ! But only with her family, sadly.

Now free from Yang's mothering, she glanced back at the man. No, her target.

He will rue the day he met her, for she will not rest until she uncovers the truth. All of it.

* * *

They were all so vain. Their conception of the world and the role they were to play in it were risible. Most of them had been fed stories of grandiose deeds, of noble sacrifices and straight-forward righteousness. While the talks she'd overheard last night were benign, she simply expected more from hunters in training.

Innocent children, that's what they were. Oh, she'd been one of them. Stars in her eyes, dreams in her mind, devotion in her heart. Not with the same aim, or the same means to achieve that goal, but the same drive to push back against the monsters. Well, maybe not the same type of monsters. Anyway, reality had come knocking for her. It hadn't yet for them.

_Calm. Think._

She was turning haughty again. Not used to crowds, she must have defaulted to cynicism without noticing.

Maybe it was too soon to judge them. Maybe they'd learn faster than she did. Plus, there were some that handled themselves with poise, taking the events as they came and not rushing to make friends or discuss the latest gossip.

Donning her gear, she discreetly checked her bow was in place. That damn piece of fabric would be the bane of her days here at Beacon. But there were no other options. She had to distance herself from her past, and her faunus traits were an obvious link to that legacy.

This whole idea reeked. She had no clue what she was doing here, in the middle of pampered kids. Yes, it had seemed the best choice at the time, but now… now she wasn't so sure.

_I'm just getting cold feet. It'll be fine as long as I'm smart about it._

She'd started to track the less abrasive of her peers. She might as well load the dices concerning her future team and several of them had caught her eye. The inoffensive fool with the onesie for example. Thinking about it, he'd make the perfect partner. Or he might talk her ears off with incessant babble. Admittedly, a fair tradeoff if he didn't ask too many questions.

On the contrary, others like the Winchester scion were to be avoided at all cost. That family had borne bigots of all kinds for generations and this one didn't inspire trust in the least, what with his clique of unruly jocks.

She spotted the Schnee at the end of the lockers, talking with the famous – even to her – Pyrrha Nikos. Blake had to admit, the heiress worked fast. Then, the suitable teammate she was just thinking about came around the corner, agitated and not paying attention where he went. What followed made Blake break a rare smile. The guy was genuinely _nice_, if startingly sheltered.

Yes, the blonde idiot will do nicely. Jaune, she heard. Not to be confused with the _other_ blonde idiot, the one so loud she had hurt Blake's ears when calling for her sister this morning. With roughly the same height and hair color, they might have been long lost siblings for all Blake knew.

"To all first-year applicants. Please head towards the Northern cliffs. Initiation will begin in ten minutes." Goodwitch's voice chimed through the building.

_Time to go._

* * *

"This year's turnout seems promising."

Coming from down below, in the Emerald Forest, sporadic detonations and shouts of every kind could be heard. Thanks to the various cameras scattered through the trees she could monitor every notable event and observe the trainees in action. They had been dropped in the middle of Grimm infested land – albeit culled beforehand by her coworkers – for a fetching quest. A classic entrance exam among the four Academies, but with a twist. Ozpin had insisted that teams shall be formed during the evaluation. In a peculiar way, she might add. But she trusted he knew best, on this matter at least.

"Indeed, Glynda ! The fire of youthfulness burns bright in many of those present today ! I cannot wait to regal them with my own stories of such glorious spirit !"

_Ah, Peter… You are without a doubt an important asset to this establishment. I only wonder why you so frequently try my patience ?_

Ozpin had his scroll displaying a certain red runner's encounter with the Schnee heiress. She felt troubled at the extent of his focus on the last of that bloodline. She had known the mother and her capabilities, yet such power, as useful as it was, didn't deserve the investment the headmaster was putting into the girl. In her opinion that is.

She was well aware of the incomplete nature of the knowledge her leader and friend shared with her. She understood the need for secrecy concerning some truths. But lately she caught herself questioning his recent decisions. And while doubt was healthy in small doses, it was starting to become worrying.

With the fate of the Fall Maiden's powers uncertain and the general climate of tension, she feared they already had too much on their plate. The nurturing of a new silver-eyed warrior and an inexplicable new teacher – one with a more than patchy history – were burdens she'd have liked to postpone, if not avoid completely.

To clarify, she had nothing against their last-minute entry, she seemed more than capable if a bit immature. Her raw potential gave hope to Glynda. They'd push her in the right direction, not that she needed much help on that point, and shape her to become an effective huntress, one that could lead their forces from the front against the many threats they faced.

As for this Ketchum fellow, she had had a bad first impression of him, and the last couple weeks of preparation hadn't really alleviated her unease. He was disturbingly quiet at times, and others obnoxious to a fault. His comment on her work instrument had been… tasteless. She hadn't risen to the taunt but her opinion of him plummeted.

And yet, his take on the overarching principles of education and its day to day subtleties were… inspired. The discrepancy jarred her, and when she discussed those ideas with him, doing her utmost best to get past his terrible manners, she found herself agreeing with the man more often than not.

Only time and exposure would let her solidify her judgment.

Sighing to herself, she rebuilt her composure. It would not do to advertise the turmoil in her mind.

"That's interesting." The new faculty member spoke suddenly. He had kept mute until now, reviewing the current fights erupting in the forest.

"What is, mister Ash ?" She prodded, intent on picking his mind apart.

"This one. Lie Ren." He showed her his scroll, an applicant with black hair catching his breath above a dead Grimm.

"Ah. A King Taijitu, by himself. He's certainly capable. If I recall he hails from Mistral. Registered along with… miss Valkyrie. No other relatives." She got the relevant information out of her memory, trying to grasp what made him stand out.

"Hmm. It's not the kill that's important, it's _how_ he killed it." Ketchum refuted.

"Some aura technique you know of, I suppose ?" Playing back the fight, she had to admit the skills shown were noteworthy.

To her mild surprise, he had a different opinion than hers. "Not really. He's manipulating the same form of aura as everyone else."

"Then what caught your eye ?" Was he voluntarily belittling this would-be student ?

"The expertise with which he used it." He said, as if stating the obvious.

_That does not make one lick of sense._

"I'm not sure I quite understand."

"View it this way; he's running with near perfect form while everyone walks, yet doesn't know how to fly."

_I don't need a second Ozpin in my life…_

"Please don't emulate the headmaster."

He smiled at her, a smile of shared pain and kinship in the face of cryptic conversations. "I'll explain in more details later on, if you'd like. For now, let's get back to work."

Curious but knowing her priorities, she agreed readily.

* * *

_I should have stayed in Atlas._

"And then I went Zoom! and Slash! and then Crescent Rose cut its _whole_ head off ! It was so _**awesome **_!"

_I really should have stayed in Atlas._

"Yeah, that's cool, but you should have seen that Deathstalker ! We did a number on him he'll never forget, that's for sure !"

"Jaune, I don't think it can remember anything now."

_Brothers…_

"Oh, yeah. Well, duh. Heh…" The doofus, to her amazement, switched from embarrassed to excited in the span of a second. "Oh, I know ! We need to celebrate. I mean, we passed ! That's great ! Right, Snow Angel ?"

Gods was he insufferable. "I can see why you'd see this as an achievement, but for some of us it merely was a formality. Also, I would greatly appreciate it if you would stop addressing me-" She dismissed the silly idea, only to be cut off by her bombastic new teammate.

"Oh, don't be so cold, Weiss Queen !" And again with the puns. She'd have already force fed her a couple of Dust rounds if she had a looser grip on her self-control. "A party will do you good, I bet. And don't worry, we'll bring appropriate drinks for you. Posh people like tea, right ? Then it can be a part-tea !"

_Hurh…_

"Yaaang…" "That was awful." "Oh, wow…" "Ren, I think she's broken." At least she wasn't alone in her torment.

"I don't know, I don't want to cause a scene on our first day." Came the voice of reason in the form of… her childish team leader. She may have handled herself well fighting the Grimms, with too much enthusiasm maybe, but Weiss feared her academical prowess would leave a lot to be desired.

But the brawler wasn't deterred. "Then a sleepover !"

"With snacks ! Sloth-themed snacks !"

_Please tell me it's not happening…_

"Nora, I think miss Goodwitch mentioned pancakes for breakfast."

That caught the hyperactive girl's interest. "Yeah ?"

"Then it may be best to sleep early so that tomorrow we can get some before they run out." With an out of this world serenity, the green-clad youth goaded his friend into retiring for the night.

"Oh ! Thanks, Renny ! Hadn't thought about that !"

_Thank you, whoever is up there, for people like Lie Ren._

Yang, feeling the momentum leaving the group, turned to her last hope.

She was shot down immediately.

"I'm tired." Blake said and left for their room.

"Sorry Yang, I guess it wasn't such a good idea…" And Jaune was finally listening to reason.

"Don't sweat it, they're just grumpy old-men posing as our teammates and secretly plotting to steal all the fun around here. See you guys tomorrow !"

At that, the two teams bid their goodbyes and entered their respective dorms.

Which were… lackluster. Four beds, four desks, four chairs and four closets. All basic furniture. Weiss supposed it was intended to let the students focus on their curriculum, but finding herself in such a barren environment, she couldn't help but compare it to her bedroom back in Atlas. The contrast was overwhelming.

"Well, that's… something." Yang, for once, summarized her thoughts.

Her sister felt otherwise. "Oh, come on. It's great ! We can do whatever we-" She froze in place, a foreboding anxiety taking Weiss. "Bunkbeds ! Let's make bunkbeds !"

"I call top !" "Top !" The sisters, in total synchronicity, erupted with cheer.

Blake and her exchanged an exasperated look. There was no stopping these two.

"And how are we supposed to assemble such a thing ?" She tried to bring some common sense into the conversation.

She hadn't yet grasped the full scope of their… ingenuity.

_If this fall on me during the night, I swear I will sue them. And who brings this much books to an academy ? They have a library for the gods' sake !_

"Okay ! Now that the beds are up-"

Before Ruby could finish her sentence, Yang dashed for the bathroom. "Dibs on the shower !"

"Wait ! No ! Yang… Damnit !"

"What's the matter Ruby ? We can just go later, it's not that late."

"You don't understand ! Yang takes hour-long showers ! And, and…"

"Oh no she doesn't ! If we're to share this room's commodities we all need to agree to a schedule. Who gets to shower when, chores and other obligations also need to be addressed…"

"I'll take first shower in the morning." Blake interjected.

"Don't decide this by yourself ! We need to-"

"You're the one planning a _schedule_, so I'd say you're the one deciding things by yourself. Plus, you're not team leader, remember ?"

"Humpf… You know what ? You're right. I won't force any _reasonable expectation _upon you. Let's just fight for every little thing we have to share, sure. That seems _so_ much more efficient…"

Blake and Weiss eyes sparked in the following silence, neither willing to back down. Then, something slithered into their ears. Something barely resembling a song, with notes either too high or too low to fit in the approximative melody. Something altogether grating and aggressive while keeping the tempo of a gentle ballad, never where it was expected.

While Blake's head disappeared under her pillow, Weiss had to ask. "Is she… singing ?"

"Yeah… I try not to be in the house when she's in the bathroom…"

"Oh…"

_Is it too late to ask for a transfer ?_

* * *

**I'll post the third chapter soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

**And here's the promised chapter.**

* * *

She didn't like Wednesdays. She always felt weird and put off when waking up and today, her first Wednesday at Beacon, was no different.

To compensate, she usually pushed all her throttles to the max. Ren knew this, and had taken the habit of making his secret blueberry pancakes with extra whipped cream for those difficult mornings. She never asked him to, yet he still did. He was awesome like that.

They'd been through a lot back in Mistral. They had passed by many towns and hamlets, explored the tamer parts of the countryside after those horrible years stuck at the orphanage. Forcing her to study _literature_… Miss Falks sure had had some strange ideas.

An image came back to her mind, coming from another Wednesday, before the orphanage. She swiftly sent it back to the depths it had crawled out of.

She really hated those days.

But, for once, this moody feeling buzzed off before lunch.

"Combat Class, here we come !"

Eager to see some smashing being done, she kept jumping around until she landed on her fearless leader's shoulders.

"Wa-ah !"

"Carry your queen to the arena, noble steed ! We shall display our bravery with incredible prowess and bask in the glory of the fight !"

Chuckles erupted from the two teams. Even Renny smiled ! Only a tiny twitch of the lips, as usual, but it was obvious to her he was enjoying her antics.

It felt good to make her friends happy. It felt good to have friends.

One might note that half a week was short to consider them as such, but Nora was, if not the easiest to endure, affectionate to a fault.

"Nora, I'm gonna-" Jaune tried to say, legs wobbling dangerously. And down they went in a jumble of limbs.

Splayed on the ground, Nora couldn't help but snicker. She enjoyed those moments, where nothing seemed to matter, and she hoped there would be many more to come.

Weiss brought her back from her thoughts. "We better hurry, lest we anger miss Goodwitch."

Weiss was… interesting ? Alright, she acted a bit like a sourpuss. Yet Nora was sure it would dissipate soon. Ish.

They picked up the pace, arriving just in time for the opening words of the strict teacher.

"Students, welcome to Combat Class. Today and tomorrow will be dedicated to the assessment of your current capabilities. Each of you will participate at least once in a duel against one of your peers. I will suffer no complaint as to the opponent I put you up against, nor the order in which you will compete. Rules are standard tournament policy." She paused, giving the audience time to process the information. "You will go retrieve your weapons only when I call your name. When your match is over, you will head straight for the locker room and put away your equipment. At no point in time do I want to see you gallivanting around with your gear. Understood ?"

A chorus of agreement was heard, all more eager to get on with it than the next. Nora might have shouted louder than others, who knows ?

"Nora Valkyrie and Yang Xiao-Long. You are up first. Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester, second." The announcement had a couple students looking around, searching for the four selected.

"Alright ! We're starting with a Yang !"

Silence.

"And a Nora ! That's me !" That got a laugh. From Pyrrha, of course. "Look ! I'm already winning !"

"Nah, doesn't count. She's on your team." Yang half-jokingly retorted.

"Pff… Sore loser."

"_You're_ gonna be sore when I'm done with you !"

The banter was cut short when a certain bespectacled teacher cleared her throat audibly. The girls rushed to get their gear, each eager to win the brawl. It was the birth of a beautiful rivalry. In Nora's eyes, at least.

She noticed Jaune behind her, looking anxiously at Cardin coming back already decked out.

_He must be nervous. Pep talk time !_

"You're gonna be fine, Jaune. Just remember, when in doubt, aim for the knees !"

"Huh ? Oh, yeah. Sure." It didn't seem to have worked, but she had a challenger of her own to put down and left it at that.

Grabbing ammunition and her dear Magnhild, she hurried back to the arena where Goodwitch gave her a nod and pointed her to the console. Inputting her scroll details, her Aura meter filled up, followed by Yang's. They moved to the center of the ring, their breaths deepening and taking their most familiar stances.

"I will only explain this once for those not used to standard competition and sparing. The rules are as follow. You must defeat your opponent by forcing them out of the boundaries, by depleting three quarters of their Aura or by making them surrender. No timer. You will cease when I tell you to, no questions asked, but don't expect me to stop the fight for anything less than a maiming blow. That is all." Goodwitch seemed even more stoic than usual, not letting a hint of emotion through her voice. "Are both contestants ready ?"

"Yep." "Let's do this." The girls assented, not breaking eye contact.

The room fell silent, attention aimed solely at the first fighters of the day.

"Begin !"

**[- Sung – Way Farer -]**

And off they went.

Nora had seen Yang storm the Grimms during Initiation and knew how fast the blonde could be. Good thing she remembered because the brawler used that very same tactic against her, blasting off immediately. She sent a couple grenades to obscure the blonde's vision then switched Magnhild back to its hammer form. A sidestep, a baseball swing and when Yang landed she received a heavy blow to her midriff, sending her back the way she came.

The bomber needed to keep her distances, else she'd suffer at the hands of the close quarter expert. She started raining explosions on her opponent, aiming to force her out of the ring. Yang had another idea in mind.

A barrage of buckshot met the pink deluge, detonating the grenades closer and closer to Nora until one burst right in her face. Blinded, she had no doubt Yang would soon be upon her.

_Hammer-time._

She met the charge head-on, determined to use Yang's momentum as she had earlier. But using such a move left openings, many at that, and was only useful when the opponent couldn't dodge or wasn't aware of the coming blow. Using it twice in a row was a gamble Nora had no choice to take, and it failed her. Yang adapted her dash, stepping back at the last moment to evade the hammer and stepping back in right after.

Nora backpedaled as fast as she could, blocking jabs with the handle of her weapon when she could, deflecting others with her forearms, and letting her Aura tank the rest. Yet the brawler stuck to her, prodding and exploiting her defenses at every turn.

When she tried to go for an under-up swing after pushing Yang's left off course, she caught a right hook in her elbow, sending her blow wide. It was all that was needed for the blonde to unleash hell on her.

A glance at the Aura meters showed Nora's in the same orange as her hair and Yang's barely in the yellow. She felt the match slip through her fingers, enough to bet everything on a desperate last move. A mad move.

With her left hand she grabbed one of the canisters at her belt. She knew those little babies inside-out, having spent hours filling and tweaking them. She especially knew how to safely handle them. And how not to. She was going to break a rather short accident-free streak today.

_If it's deliberate, does it still count as an accident ?_

She didn't let the thought delay her. Pressing the rim firmly, she primed the grenade and let Yang's fists hit her. A swift shove was all it took to activate the payload in all its bright majesty.

Ears ringing, left hand numb and right still holding her hammer, Nora got up as soon as she could gather her bearings. One does not escape a point-blank explosion unscathed, even with Aura in the equation. Yang was crouched on the other side of the arena, massaging her chest.

"The heck was that ? You trying to blow us up ?" She didn't seem as much angered as mildly annoyed it had worked.

"That was my secret technique ! The infamous Kiss-Kiss Bang-Bang !"

A chuckle, a shake of the head, and Serious Yang was back. A look up at their Auras let them know that Yang was now well into the danger zone while Nora was on her last leg. It could go either way.

"Ready ?" Yang put up her fists, widening her stance.

Nora grasped her hammer firmly. "Heh, always."

Lilac become red. "No, not for this."

Heat washed off upon the bomber, a bright flash flowed from the blonde's hair, and pain erupted in Nora's head.

The cement roof greeted her vision back.

"Winner, Yang Xiao-Long."

_Oh. I lost._

Some applause came forth, the students either enjoying the fight or coming up with strategies to counter the moves shown during the bout.

A proud Yang popped up, hand extended and a cocky grin on her face. "Good fight, Nora."

She didn't respond, only smiling back and accepting the help offered.

"Miss Valkyrie, you recognized from the very start that you were ill-matched in terms of melee and acted accordingly, I must commend that judgment. But that disadvantage shouldn't have been so great in the first place. You should at least have been able to place a couple fast strikes with the tail end of your hammer. You might be used to work with a support that can distract your enemy while you go for heavy blows, so I will be lenient this time. Be sure to shore up on your dueling capabilities as of now." Goodwitch's input was on point, and Nora could only agree wholeheartedly.

"As for miss Xiao-Long, you should have expected a last-ditch effort when you gained a clear advantage. Always expect this kind of response from cornered foes. Otherwise, you handled yourself well enough. But don't get complacent, and keep working on your speed and endurance."

Strangely, it didn't feel that bad to lose to Yang. The whole fight had been awesome and that last hit incredible. No reason to sulk, not that Nora ever did.

Getting back to the bleachers, she waved happily at her team. Ren's eyes creased, relieved to see she was fine.

"Wow Nora, you really pack a punch, huh ?" Jaune excitedly said when the girls stopped next to their respective teams.

"It's all thanks to Renny, Jaune-Jaune. You should let him cook for you, it's the stuff of legend ! Just, avoid his _healthy _tea at all cost. He's defective when it comes to drinks. Everybody has their fault, you know ?" She remembered the first and last time she tasted one of those abominations. She had felt sick for at least a whole week, maybe two, depends on who's asking.

Of course, Ren took it as his cue to offer his aid to Jaune. "If you're ever curious about nutrition, I can help. And don't worry, I won't force my beverages on you. It can be incorporated into a jam-like paste easily enough."

_No ! That would be extra-terrible ! That taste, in chunks ? Blerg… _

"What did I say about loitering with your gear ? Out, now !"

""Yes Ma'am !""

Scurrying away, the girls bumped into each other at first yet managed to squeeze through the door, neither willing to let the other go first. What started as playful ribbing devolved in pushes and shoves when they arrived at the lockers. Grins alight, they rushed to get their gears off and stormed the showers. Nora got first pick, Yang not far behind.

"You know, dumping your ammo like that in your locker might be dangerous Nora. I wonder what Miss Goodwitch would have to say about that…" She could hear the foxiness in the lilt of Yang's voice even through the divider between them.

"Nooo ! I don't wanna read the SHAM again !" Hopping this way and that to get her shoe off, Nora whined aloud.

"The what now ?"

"SHAM ! The Safe Handling of Ammunition Manual ! Silly Yang, doesn't know the SHAM… You should really review your classics !" She recalled the long hours spent pretending to read the dry instructions of the leaflet. Some of it had stuck, but the majority she had learned after making her own mistakes. She wondered briefly if that inn still had her silhouette imprinted on its wall.

"Nora, I don't think that's… Wait, did Ren give you that book ?"

"Yeah ! How did you know ?!" Was Yang secretly a medium ? Did she have a sixth sense telling her things in the night ?

"Just a hunch." Then, barely audible above the sound of rushing water, "Damn sneaky monk…"

This was it. Her new blonde rival was a psychic. She knew things ! She spoke in riddles ! She had long hair ! Everything fitted !

"Hey Yang ?"

"Yeah ?"

"Do you see dead people ?"

"Huh ?"

* * *

Blinking away the fog in his head, Jaune tried to put his thoughts into words. "That was…"

"-Awful."

"-Pure nonsense."

"-Not what I was expecting…"

"-Boring as hell."

"-Amazing !"

They all looked at Nora, as always oblivious to their dismay. They had endured for three hours the divagations and tall tales of a senile and shameless Professor Port, their only grace the Boarbatusk Weiss had volunteered to fight. It had brought a short-lived reprieve from the boisterous yet incredibly dull stories spewed by the rotund man. More than half the room had had their focus directed anywhere but at the professor's words by the time class ended.

Not to say that said professor had let them drift off completely. He had the impressive ability to discern students nodding off from those fooling around with their scrolls. Making an example of the latter, he seemed to allow the former, for some reason. A peculiar tutor, all in all.

The whole ordeal had left them emptied of all life, utterly silent until they woke up from their collective daze already sited in the cafeteria, with random meals strewn on their platers.

Ruby was the first to recover. "I have a salmon on my plate. Like, a whole salmon. I don't even _like_ salmon !"

"Your salmon for my pasta." Was Blake's prompt offer.

Soon, the two teams animatedly bartered their food until everyone was somewhat pleased. Jaune laughed to himself, the scene reminding him closely of the annual dinner at a local restaurant of his hometown where his sisters spent the evenings trading morsels, all in an attempt to taste at least once each possible order. A mess of blondes shouting at each other across the largest table available. Legend had it that the owner had it specifically made for his family. His dad loved to tell that story.

_I can't stop thinking about them today. Am I homesick ?_

He was. But there was more to the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. Unsurprising given his hurried departure in the middle of the night, without farewells or good wishes. He had only left a vague note, saying he'd gone to an unspecified Academy to become a huntsman.

Guilt, that's what he felt.

"Are you alright Jaune ?" A small voice cut his depressing thoughts short.

Turning slightly to his right, he smiled at his partner. "I'm okay Pyrrha. Thanks." And now he felt even worse. Lying never sat well within him, even if the truth wasn't the best answer. Pyrrha's gentle nod only reinforced his unease.

What had he done to deserve such a team ? Not even a week in, and he already felt indebted. Maybe because he didn't feel legitimate amongst them, or because they each had accepted him from the get go, no questions asked. Would he manage to step up to their expectations ? Would he fail as a leader ? Fearless, Nora had called him. He felt all but fearless.

"What's our next class ?" His ears picked up from the other end of the table. Glad for a distraction, he brought his attention back to the present.

Weiss, having just caught up with them – and was that telling him something that he hadn't even noticed her absence – answered her partner. "Applied Aura Manipulation, with Assistant Professor Ketchum. I dread to imagine what an _assistant_ professor might teach us, after that debacle with _Professor_ Port."

"The one with all the scars, right ?" Jaune heard himself say.

"Yes. His greeting speech left something to be desired but you have to admit, it got his point across." The heiress pointed out, rightfully so in his mind.

"I bet he's a pirate ! Ren ! We should ask him where he hid his booty !"

"That's a bad idea Nora." Knowing Nora, Ren didn't even try to explain why.

"You're right, pirates don't reveal where their treasure's at, ever. We must think like one to-"

"Be sensible for once ! The man is no pirate, he is a part of Beacon's faculty. There are few more honorable positions." Weiss didn't seem to have received the memo about Nora's wild theories. Mostly, 'Don't challenge them, you'll just make it worse'.

Yet, before Nora could jump on the occasion, a whisper slithered by. "Oh, he's a criminal alright." When all eyes snaped to her, Ruby froze in place.

Jaune knew he wasn't the only one noticing Yang's frown, nor the defiant look on Ruby's face after she caught herself back.

"Hmm… Has he done something ?" Trying to break the stalemate, Jaune asked what everyone wanted to.

Ruby went to answer but was cut short by her sister. "Rubes, seriously, drop it. I told you he's not to blame, and I meant it."

Cheeks puffed and posture confrontational, the reaper openly disagreed, yet, after a moment she sighed and deflated. "Okay Yang. I won't bring it up again."

Blake and Weiss clearly had no idea how to react to their teammates little feud but opted to stay silent. JNPR on the other hand picked the conversation back up.

_What was that about ? _Jaune was puzzled, but let it go in favor of the ongoing discussion.

"He's got to know a lot about Aura." Pyrrha tentatively said.

"I might pick his brain about certain… paradoxes I stumbled upon recently." Ren was, in Jaune's opinion, their best bet to check if what the assistant professor taught them was legit. Pyrrha might know a thing or two about Aura but Ren proved his competence during Initiation.

The would-be knight felt this was the right opportunity to ask what had been troubling him until now. "What even _is_ Aura ? Isn't it just a shield ? A… protection or something ?"

By the pensive looks on Pyrrha's and Nora's faces he could gather that the topic wasn't as well-known as he thought. Luckily, Ren came to the rescue. "It is that, but can also be more. It may be my upbringing talking, but I think it is the rawest expression of our soul, whatever that may be. As such, it instinctively protects from harm its owner, or user, or… I don't know the proper term actually. But, by focusing on it, one can direct it in other ways, or reinforce it locally. It's hard work, but feasible. I can project it and form solid spheres around my hands for example. Thing is, I managed only that thus far, and it took me years of observation and experimentation for it to work."

His voice, calm and fluid, managed to recapture the attention of team RWBY. Blake and Yang were still more focused on their own thoughts but Ruby had a shine to her eyes, probably dreaming herself up with a set of translucent red armor, reaping Grimm left and right. Meanwhile, Weiss, Pyrrha and Nora were enraptured by the impromptu lecture.

Jaune ? Jaune was…

_Years ?! I just got it unlocked and it's gonna take me years to use it ?! I'm so screwed…_

"In any way, we've met a couple hunters on the road and none of them knew much more than that about Aura. I don't think many of them use it for more than the basic protection." Ren unknowingly appeased Jaune's inner turmoil.

"It makes sense. I rarely came upon a situation where I would have traded my Aura for offense. And if it takes years to learn something you'll maybe never use, it doesn't seem worth it." Trust Pyrrha and her extensive fighting experience to put things into perspective.

"I'm more interested in the reinforcing trick. Depending on its limitations, you could surprise your opponents. I'm not in the business of getting hit in the first place, but I can see the appeal." Jaune couldn't help himself but admire Weiss' thoughtful nature. She explored every avenue of study at her disposal, even if she didn't directly benefit from them.

Ruby barged in the conversation. "Hey, Ren. Those spheres you can create, do they follow you around or do they stay in place ?"

"They stick to my hands, why ?"

"Oh. Shoot…" She seemed entirely too dejected, which confirmed to Jaune she had been daydreaming about some ridiculous application of Ren's technique.

"You should see him grapple with an Ursa ! He uses those glow-y things and rips them apart like a pinata ! There was this one time where-" Cue the whimsical Nora story time, with added sound effects.

Jaune withdrew in his head and thought about Ren's words. He might never be able to use Aura like Ren does – he had a lot to catch up on after all – but he started to consider what it meant for the current state of huntsmen and huntresses in the world. Beacon offered a class on Aura, it should mean there was _some_ amount of learning to be done on the subject. Yet, it didn't seem to be part of the standard huntsman package. Were those techniques that hard to grasp ? Four years to comprehend them and the rest of your professional life to master them, was that what Beacon had in mind ? Or was there another reason why very few used Aura in unorthodox ways ?

It was all too confusing for Jaune and he felt he lacked key elements to see the whole picture. He might get some answers in class anyway. Class that started… in five minutes. On the other end of the campus.

"Guys ! We're gonna be late !"

It was then they realized they were the only first years left in the cafeteria. Time really does fly by when you're around friends.

* * *

**See ya.**


End file.
